The notion of "toxins" in the body and associated "cleansing" has been much abused. If you do some cleansing cure it might have a beneficial effect, but it's probably unlikely to be due to actual "toxin" removal unless you mean that in a very metaphorical sense. Of course that's a big generalization and may do injustice to some cures, but I think it's safe to say, generally, buyer beware.Best wishesLars

zangskar wrote:The notion of "toxins" in the body and associated "cleansing" has been much abused. If you do some cleansing cure it might have a beneficial effect, but it's probably unlikely to be due to actual "toxin" removal unless you mean that in a very metaphorical sense. Of course that's a big generalization and may do injustice to some cures, but I think it's safe to say, generally, buyer beware.Best wishesLars

I agree. There's a huge New Age-y industry built on the notion of 'toxins' and 'cleansing.' Follow the money. The rest is common sense and moderation. There are certainly things that we don't want in our bodies - oestrogen from plastics getting into the water supply, for instance - but those are likely to be beyond the reach of a detox diet.

IMO, get a personal diagnosis from a well-experienced practitioner of traditional Tibetan medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy, or homeopathy and then do what the "doc" recommends. I agree that the idea of "cleansing toxins" is much abused in the alternative health care world. During my 30+ years of clinical practice, I have seen many patients who have done "over the counter" cleanses and made their health worse, not better. Other than Dharma (and even here there are 84,000 teachings for 84,000 "diagnoses"), I know of no universal panaceas. Nothing is good for everyone.

Some questions worth asking:

A) How do you know you have toxins that need cleansing? B) What is the specific nature of those toxins? I.e., where'd they come from? Where are they located in the body? What is/are the disease mechanism or mechanisms that they have initiated?C) What is the professionally agreed upon method for ridding those toxins from the body as opposed to some wishy-washy generic idea of toxins? Another way of putting this is to ask how good the evidence is for the treatment you are contemplating. D) What are the signs of having successfully accomplished this cleansing of toxins?

BTW, you might also want to ask yourself who is it that thinks they have toxins?

As far as i know, i think Water is the best remedy to get rid of all the bad toxins in our body. Drinking lots of water is known to eliminate all the toxins from our body.Many peoples have found this remedy helpful in dealing with bad toxins. Water has got a lot of benefits in terms of keeping our body fit and healthy.

imho surely it is better to stay away from toxins (as much as is possible) in the first place then you have no need to go searching for a "cleansing" or "detox".

Personally I adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, am heading towards becoming a vegan. I still eat some cheeses, eggs, honey & yogurt. My cheeses are limited because some contain an ingredient which I am sensitive too. I also eat no products containing MSG and if I buy food products I buy ones that have no or few E-numbers. I do not drink caffeinated products. I drink either un-caffeinate herbal tea, water or soya milk. I do not drink alcohol nor do I smoke or partake in drugs (as much as my life allows). I am a migraine sufferer and sometimes drugs is necessary to give me some relief. Though I am still searching for a non-drug method that works for me.

short question. would one continue to take chyawanprash and ashwagandha during the week cleanse or they should be put aside for that period? thank you!

Disdaining the lower and unable to grasp the higher,talking of emptiness, such a person will neglect cause and effect,mouthing on about the view while in a state of self-deception.It would be better to concentrate on the gradual path.

I have read that onions detoxify the body. Also, Greek warriors used to eat them, so you can yell "This is Sparta!!" before biting into yet another raw onion and feel quite badass at the same time you are detoxifying your body!

This isn't from the periodic-cleanse side but is more from the maintainance side: stay away from all processed foods, GMO's, artificial colors & preservatives, and synthetic pesticides.

Water-wise: to remove fluoride, chlorine, chloramines, and other chemicals, get a reverse-osmosis system or use the reverse-osmosis systems that many grocery stores have and make sure to refill with BPA-free containers.